Grain of Salt Suggestions for Musicians

Reinventing the Wheel, the Facebook music group, has one solid rule – you have to review three other songs before you post one of your own for review. Most comments are supportive and mixed with some down to earth suggestions. This group has built up a musical community second to none as far as I can see. I love this site!

When reviewing others, I’m aware of some suggestions that I have, that might work with almost everyone’s songs. So instead of adding them to each review, I’d like to list them here. They are general, and are no more than suggestions for consideration!

1. Breathe like a singer, not a talker. Take the two hours to learn how to sing from the diaphragm. This will strengthen your voice, combat pitch problems, and even extend your singing range.
2. Don’t be afraid to use the ride cymbal – for some reason neither drummers or those programming a drum machine use this symbol anymore – it’s a great buzzing joy!
3. Double track the lead voice on the chorus or to emphasize any important words, lines, etc.
4. Double track, or triple track, every background vocal. This improves the song 90%.
5. Don’t play the same arrangement on every verse. That sounds like karaoke! Vary each verse and allow those changes to build up some drama in the song and keep the listener interested.
6. Lyrics should make sense, not on some lines but all of them. OR you can go the Dylan route and make some assorted moody phrases, and string them together in a musical surrealism. Either way its best to commit to one or the other. Hybrids of half clear and half fog, don’t work!
7. Consider two minutes for fast songs, and three minutes for ballads. Stop playing before the audience stops listening. Edit out the unnecessary repeats. Excess repeats are like telling a punch line to a joke over and over.
8. Best to sing like you talk. Make your voice direct like you are talking to the listener. Some singers are melodramatic, over the top like bad opera, and other singers whisper like a bad actor! Be honest in how you sing, and the audience will pick up on that immediately.
9. Don’t try to put everything in one song. Each song has limits. You only have a few verses to tell all. Keep it to one subject, one mood, one situation.
10 Join the music revolution!!! You don’t have a music career now, you don’t have fair compensation for your talent, and you never will; UNLESS we band together to change this once in history – The Big 3 Labels control all – mess, that we have now. Do this one thing for all of us. Share the news that music should be beyond greed, and a marketing ploy for 3 labels. Music is too important to be owned by so few.

That’s the list. Comments welcome, and once again each of you are different, and many of these may not apply for you! Play on!

My Personal Take on My Music

Here’s my personal take: I did NOT spend 50+ years trying to perfect my singing, playing, and writing with over 2,650 songs/compositions, plus 14 years of playing live box office concerts, plus a 10 year 150 song studio recording project of the “Hunkasaurus and His Pet Dog Guitar” , outside the box, Set, PLUS 25 years of publishing my zine Musea at 200+ issues, that advocates for all artists, to – at the top of my talent,
give it all up,
allow 3 CEOS to block me and every other talent out of careers,
and RETIRE.
NO!

Why would I give up NOW? I want a fair chance at a BIG CAREER that is as big as I can make it, and at least a little closer to my abilities and talent and hard work than what I’ve gotten so far.

I want it for others too, and I see that 3 old men, 3 CEOS of the Big 3 Labels, and their parent media companies, are the only thing standing in the way.

SO when someone asks you do you know anyone in music trying to build a career – you may say YOU are not interested, but add this – YES I DO – THAT GUY! and point them to me.

Letter to Lynn Monk on the Big Three Labels

My post to Lynn Monk another person who has spent years supporting indie musicians:

Now for something personal, you and I have both spent a decade or more supporting musicians, and the music industry has not changed; Swift, Bieber, still get all the money, and indies don’t. Hard work and talent have not helped. Time to recognize the obvious, nothing will change until we protest this mess.
These mega labels are houses of cards, and real indie protest of say one thousand musicians saying theses three are dull boring, uncool, and ruining music, will force them to do anything to look trendy, hip and get back the money. So protesting the Big Three labels is not our best option, it’s our ONLY option.

Jim Quinn sets my Poem to Music

Jim Quinn has taken my poem , Full Moon, my version of a poem by Walter de la Mare, and turned it into a fine song. Very impressive! https://www.facebook.com/groups/483326849098435/permalink/898220040942445/

Jim writes, i had a guitar piece that i had.but didnt have lyrics too,and i saw tom hendricks had posted a poem ,so i asked if i could put music and vocals too it,he kindly said yes, so this is a collaboration of sorts.very short

Tom, Why Don’t You Play Your Guitar Right?

HEY TOM, WHY DON’T. YOUR SONGS SOUND LIKE THEY ARE SUPPOSED TO SOUND?
Here are some differences that are on purpose!
For me songs should be at 2 minutes, 3 minutes for Ballads, that forces the song to have just the essentials and no excess repeats. Motto: stop playing before they stop listening!
The other thing is my guitar playing. This is what I call combo guitar style, not a singer songwriter, not a band something in between something new, where I play bass, rhythm, and lead, at the same time on one guitar. This single guitar leads to a more direct, passionate, and personal song. Though I will add that in my studio recordings I expand this to background vocals, and sometimes a 2nd standard guitar for a fuller sound.
Besides playing a lot of maj7, diminish, and suspended chords, I often play these with ringing open notes, such as an open A on a Bflat chord. I also often make up chords to enhance the melody.
So I encourage you to take these things as new ideas.
Those that like the older style are certainly welcome to do covers of my songs, some have already.